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Cardiac (Heart) Involvement (Main Menu)
Overview
Antiphospholipid
Scleroderma
Complications
Heart Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatments
Research
Patient & Caregiver Stories
Cardiac (Heart) Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. See Disclaimer.
Cardiac (Heart) Involvement Overview
Cardiac (Heart) Symptoms
Correlation Between Cardiac and Other Diseases
Systemic SD Heart Involvement
Complications of SD Heart Involvement
Diagnosis
Treatments
Research
Patient & Caregiver Stories
Cardiac (Heart) Involvement Overview
The Heart in Scleroderma. The heart is one of the major organs involved in scleroderma, the involvement of which can be manifested by myocardial disease, conduction system abnormalities, arrhythmias, or pericardial disease. (Science Direct) Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America Volume 34, Issue 1, February 2008, Pages 181-190.
Cardiac abnormalities common in systemic sclerosis. Left and right heart diseases, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), left ventricular hypertrophy, and diastolic dysfunction, are frequently found in patients with systemic sclerosis. The Job Cure. (Reuters) 01/01/08.
Cardiac Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis: The Strongest Predictive Factor of Prognosis in Patients with Scleroderma. The results disclosed that most frequent cardiac manifestation at the initial evaluation of scleroderma is subclinical arrhythmia. More importantly, cardiac involvement at early stage of the disease is the strongest predictive factor for death. Sumiaki Tanaka. 13/13. ACR 2007. (Also see: Mortality and Prognosis)
Cardiac involvement in systemic inflammatory diseases. Modern sophisticated imaging techniques reveal cardiac abnormalities in most of these diseases and the reported frequency of cardiac involvement ranges widely depending upon the applied diagnostic methods and selection of patients. European Heart Journal. Vol 28, No 15 Pp. 1797-1804. (Also see: Autoimmunity)
Organ Involvement-Induced Disability In Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) . SSc-related disability is clinically significant and is mostly related to joint, cutaneous and cardio-pulmonary involvement, as well as to the disease-induced fatigue. C. Mihai. AB0514 EULAR 2007. (Also see: Skeletal, Skin, and Pulmonary Involvement)
Cardiac (Heart) Symptoms
Cardiac (Heart) Symptoms. Common symptoms of heart failure include breathing difficulties, fatigue and exercise intolerance, and coughing. ISN.
Heart Symptoms in Women
Chest Pain
Common Symptoms of Heart Failure
Fainting (Syncope)
Correlation Between Cardiac and Other Diseases
The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in end-stage pulmonary disease: Is pulmonary fibrosis a risk factor? There is significantly more CAD in lung-transplantation candidates with lung fibrosis as compared to those with emphysema, despite the fact that smoking was much more prevalent in the emphysema patients. These results suggest that the inflammatory process in lung fibrosis may involve the coronary arteries as a part of a systemic inflammation rather than an idiopathic fibrotic disease confined to the lungs. G. Izbicki. Respiratory Medicine Volume 103, Issue 9, Pages 1346-1349. (September 2009) (Also see: Pulmonary Fibrosis and Cardiac Involvement)
Cardiac involvement in systemic inflammatory diseases (SIDs). Modern sophisticated imaging techniques reveal cardiac abnormalities in most of these diseases and the reported frequency of cardiac involvement ranges widely depending upon the applied diagnostic methods and selection of patients. Better knowledge and awareness of cardiac involvement in SIDs is necessary because it conveys a major risk for increased morbidity and mortality in several of these rare diseases. This has clearly been shown for temporal arteritis, Churg–Strauss syndrome, sarcoidosis, SSc, relapsing polychondritis and others. Daniel C. Knockaert. European Heart Journal 2007 28(15):1797-1804.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) and Heart Disease. ISN.
The Association Between Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Vascular Disease. People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have an increased risk of vascular disease in comparison to the general population. Richard B Hubbard. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. August 28, 2008. (Also see: Pulmonary Fibrosis)
Discrepancy Between Simultaneous Digital Skin Microvascular and Brachial Artery Macrovascular Post-Occlusive Hyperemia in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) . Microvascular function is impaired in SSc, whereas brachial artery endothelial function is normal. M. Roustit. J Rheumatol 2008; 35:1576–83. (Also see: Raynaud's)
Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement
Systemic Scleroderma Cardiac (Heart) Involvement. The systemic forms of scleroderma can cause cardiac (heart) problems. One of the earliest symptoms reported by diffuse systemic scleroderma patients is heart irregularities. ISN.
Overview of SD Cardiac Involvement
Antiphospholipid Antibodies
Aortic Stiffness
Asymptomatic Pericardial Disease
Cardiac Remodeling
Carotid Artery Disease
Cholesterol
Atherosclerosis
Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction
Lipoprotein[a], Thrombotic
Mitral and Tricuspid Valve
Myocardial Ischemia
Right Ventricular Dysfunction
Stroke and TIA
Vascular Disease and Systemic Scleroderma. The vascular system is our circulatory system. It consists of all the vessels that carry blood and lymph through the body, to and from organs. Vessels include arteries, veins, and capillaries. Any condition that affects the vascular system, all of in part, is considered a vascular disease. ISN.
Overview of Vascular Disease
Vascular Involvement in Scleroderma
Causes of Vascular Involvement
Types of Vascular Disease in Scleroderma
Vascular Disease in Other Connective Tissue Disease
Biomarkers in Vascular Disease

Angiogenesis and Vascular Disease
Hypoxia and Vascular Disease
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
Personal Stories

Related Information
Complications with Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement
Complications with Systemic Scleroderma Cardiac (Heart) Involvement include atrioventricular heart block, cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, and skeletal myopathy. ISN.
Overview
Aneurysms
Aortic Valve Insufficiency

Arrhythmia
Asymptomatic, Multiple Associations
Atrioventricular Heart Block
Cardiogenic Shock
Cardiac Tamponade
Diastolic Dysfunction
"No Reflow" Phenomenon
Macrovascular Disease
Myocardial Infarction
Skeletal Myopathy
Diagnosis of Systemic Scleroderma Cardiac (Heart) Involvement
Diagnosis of Systemic Scleroderma Cardiac (Heart) Involvement. It is common for patients with systemic scleroderma to develop heart involvement even without any overt cardiac symptoms, so mandatory assessment of systemic scleroderma heart involvement requires a thorough baseline screening and follow-up monitoring. Diagnostic tests for scleroderma heart involvement may include electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG), echocardiography (ECHO), Holter monitoring, CT scans, and MRI's. ISN.
Overview of Heart Assessment
CT Scans
Echocardiography
--ECHO (General)
--Tissue Doppler
Electrocardiogram
Heart Rate

MRI and CV-MRI
Holter Monitoring
Scintigraphy
Treatments for Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement
Treatments for Systemic Scleroderma Cardiac (Heart) Involvement include Bosentan, and calcium channel blockers such as nicardipine (Cardene) and nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia). ISN.
Beta Blockers
Bosentan, Tracleer
Combination Therapy
Cyclophosphamide
Calcium Channel Blockers
Nicardipine, Nifedipine
Coronary Artery Bypass
Dietary Approaches
Pericarditis Treatments
Research about Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement
Research about Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement. Topics include antibodies, autoimmunity, case studies, and causes of scleroderma heart involvement. ISN.
Antibodies
Autoimmunity and Heart Disease
--Media Stories
Case Studies
Causes of Heart Disease
Patient & Caregiver Stories: Cardiac (Heart) Involvement
Patient and Caregiver Stories: Cardiac (Heart) Involvement. ISN.
Anastasia: Surviving Granddaughter of a Diffuse Scleroderma Patient Traveling to a different hospital finally we heard scleroderma...
Angela S: Overlap Syndrome I am twenty-five years old and I was diagnosed with polymyositis and scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, mitral valve prolapse, a heart murmur, and pericarditis...
Angiola: Progressive Systemic Scleroderma (Italy) I would very much like to find other people that find themselves in a similar situation...
Read more stories...
Related Books
Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure. Sheldon, Md Shep (Editor), Sheldon G. Sheps, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A family medical book with daily menus, diet, six-step fitness plan, managing medications, issues for women, home monitoring, and more.
 
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